3 Surprising Benefits of Outsourcing App Development

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When considering the benefits of outsourcing app development, you’ve probably heard the most common ones — cost savings, speed to market, and specialized skill sets. However, there are other benefits too, largely because we live in an app-centric world that’s constantly evolving.

Mobile began outpacing desktop in usage, and an onslaught of smartphones followed. As of 2018, there are approximately 2.53 billion smartphone users globally. All the more reason your mobile app development process must be efficient and effective. Chances are you face significant competition in the market, regardless of your app’s look, feel, and purpose. But there are a few ways you can handle competition: innovate and ideate, reduce costs by investing less in the product, or simply accept that you’ll have less adoption and usage in this channel.

Eliminated the last two options? Exactly. Now it’s time to innovate and ideate. Moreover, it’s okay to accept that you may need to look outside your internal team of developers to succeed. But making the decision to try third-party development talent is just the beginning. First, it might help to read up on a few surprising benefits of outsourcing app development.

Win clients with faster app development

If you’re an agency or consulting company looking to land a new client, it might just be a winning app that seals the deal. When you can include a working prototype in your pitch, it becomes much more than an idea, and gives the prospect something clickable, branded, and real to get excited about.

This time is crucial, and outsourcing through crowdsourcing can help you go as fast as you need to — with help along the way. It worked for a Topcoder agency client looking to wow a retail client with a new app idea. Topcoder completed the project quickly — and more affordably than through most traditional means — and it resulted in winning business.

Have a truly global impact

App development is generally about convenience or delivering a personal experience. But app development can truly affect the world we live in. Pact, a nonprofit international development organization, came to us in need of a micro-banking app to help women in poor and developing countries develop skills and combine savings to start small businesses. Today, the app is doing just that, enabling important financial tasks and actions with ease. And it was due largely to the crowdsourcing-powered HPE Living Progress Challenge, of which Pact was one of the winners who went from prototype to fully developed app with Topcoder.

Make (and keep) customers happier

One aim of many service-related apps is to ensure that customers have a designated communication channel related to service. Many companies have portals for this, but not all of those translate to mobile app usability. In an industry where users aren’t tied to a desk, access to a mobile app offers more convenience and keeps customers happier.

This was essentially the need that Otis Elevator came to us with. Consider that a maintenance manager spends a great deal of time moving through different parts of the building. When they have an issue with an elevator, an app to easily request service reduces the steps it takes and allows the user to not only make the request quickly and with minimal effort, but also move on to other tasks right away.

Go beyond logistics and cost savings

Through outsourcing, companies in a variety of different industries with very different requirements can get exactly what they need. When you go a step further and crowdsource with us, you get the same benefits, plus the support of a designated project manager called a copilot.

Why else is crowdsourcing beneficial? App developers without geographical or time constraints compete in real time to deliver the best outcome for you — with your feedback throughout. Optionality, easy access, and the support of a copilot gives what you want in a team… without the added overhead or need to invest further into internal training.

Curious to learn more? Read our latest whitepaper on the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between outsourcing, crowdsourcing, and using in-house resources.